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Here’s more information on the types of characters you might play in The 'Nam for those not so familiar with the military.
- Civilian: A fair number of civilians can be found throughout Vietnam. Some are spooks working for the Central Intelligence Agency, others are reporters or perhaps archaeologists studying ancient temples.
- Forward Air Controller: FACs are actually Air Force servicemen assigned to Army or Marine ground units to assist in guiding in airstrikes. Despite their alternate service branch, FACs are assumed to be part of the unit they’re attached to and fall under their chain of command while in the field.
- Rifleman: Trained in the basic use of almost all of the infantry weapons in his country’s arsenal, as well as the basics of hand to hand combat and demolitions, these are the most common soldiers on the battlefield. Basic training covers the skills learned as a rifleman, but the rifleman can be further defined by his choice of Military Occupational Specialties.
Special Forces
The following character types are those trained for specialty operations in the war. In general, they are trained to higher standards than regular soldiers, requiring prerequisites for obtaining one of these specialties. These requirements make them less rounded characters, but tops in their particular field.
- Green Beret: contrary to the public’s perception, these elite soldiers were deployed to Vietnam to train indigenous soldiers and civilians in self-defense. These soldiers were the true “hearts and minds” winners, but were also able to fight when needed, carrying the war into the most hostile parts of “Indian country.”
- SEAL: Short for “Sea Air Land,” these Navy special operators excel in infiltrating enemy territory by boat, aircraft, or foot patrols. Mostly operating with the Riverine forces, SEALs also found themselves working for MACV-SOG/SIG on occasion for highly secret operations throughout the Vietnams and their neighbors.
- USMC Force Recon: The Marine Corps Force Recon got its start during WWII in the South Pacific as the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion. In 1957 the Marine Corps merged the amphibious reconnaissance company with an experimental recon team to form the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. This experimental recon team is seeing its first deployment in Viet Nam. Each team is a highly trained group of specialists, dealing in commando warfare. These teams are usually attached to regular marine units, but act independently- their attachment is just a cover. Force Recon fills security, assassination, clandestine recon, and other special operations roles.
- US Army Rangers: Created out of a need to address the challenges of unconventional warfard, the Long Range Reconnaisance Patrols' mission was reconnaisance behind enemy lines. In Viet Nam this usually means putting a teem deep in the jungle away from other American forces. As such, these troops had to be cross trained for maximum long range survivability and intelligence away from command. In addition to intelligence gathering, other LRRP missions include locating targets for airstrikes, bomb, or artillery damage assessment, scouting potential LZs, and setting ambushes. In January, 1969, the LRRPs were officially reorganized and designated the 75th Rangers. This changed neither their mission, nor their use.
Category: TheNam
